Management

Applications for Retail Jobs Hit 4-Year Low
July 19, 2011

Although the nation is still struggling amid high unemployment rates, less people are applying for work in the retail industry. The latest Kronos Retail Labor Index, which measures the ratio of hires to applicants within a given month, rose to 3.7 percent in June from a revised 3.2 percent in May as a decline in applications outpaced a moderate decrease in hiring, according to the report by Kronos Inc.

Build-A-Bear President Resigns
July 18, 2011

Build-A-Bear Workshop President John Haugh said he will resign as the company’s president, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal. Haugh’s resignation is effective July 22, according to an SEC filing. His successor hasn’t been named, but current duties will be filled in the interim by Chief Financial and Operations Officer Tina Klocke, Chief Entertainment Officer Teresa Kroll and Chief Executive Maxine Clark. Haugh has been at the helm since 2009.

Office Depot Names President of North America Division
July 15, 2011

Office Depot announced that it's appointed Kevin Peters as president, North America, a new position that combines the company’s previous North American retail and North American business solutions divisions.

Levi's Appoints New SVP of Wholesale Commercial Operations
July 14, 2011

Levi's announced it's appointed Paul Zadoff as its new senior vice president of wholesale commercial operations for the Americas. Zadoff will be responsible for developing and implementing effective strategies to drive long-term sustainable revenue growth, as well as ensuring the integration of a consistent consumer experience across the brand's wholesale commercial operation channels in the Americas.

Pet Supplies “Plus” Names President and CEO
July 14, 2011

Pet specialty retailer Pet Supplies “Plus” has promoted Dave Bolen to president and CEO, effective immediately. Bolen joined the company on May 2 as president, arriving from Petco where he was executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.

Macy's Names New VP of Merchandising
July 11, 2011

Macy’s announced that Steven Derwoed has been appointed vice president of merchandising for the Macy’s store planning and design group.

Study Reveals Crate and Barrel Takes the Longest to Respond to Emails
July 11, 2011

A new study dove into which of the big online retailers keep their customers on hold the longest. It found that Crate and Barrel takes the longest for correspondence, taking an average of 88 hours to get back to a customer email. Meanwhile BarnesandNoble.com ranked an average hold time of 8 minutes and 3 seconds.

lululemon Hires Former Crocs Exec for E-Commerce Operations
July 8, 2011

Canadian yoga-wear maker lululemon athletica has hired former Crocs executive Chris Ladd as senior vice president of its recently revamped e-commerce division. The retailer said Ladd will head online business strategy, which includes global expansion plans for the website's services.

Rising Salaries and Career Moves in Store for Fashion and Retail Professionals
July 8, 2011

Higher salaries, job mobility and a strong emphasis on "quality of life" benefits are redefining the job market in retail and fashion, according to 24 Seven's Fifth Annual Salary Survey. The survey, conducted in collaboration with the American Apparel & Footwear Association, queried more than 2,000 professionals across the U.S. in all sectors including design, sales and marketing, merchandising, product development, operations, e-commerce and store level.

Retail Sector Sees Fewer Job Cuts in June
July 7, 2011

The retail sector saw fewer announced job cuts in June than in May, signaling industry improvement, according to a new report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The retail sector announced 1,415 layoffs in June, compared to 2,944 in May. Moreover, the number of job cuts announced by retail employers for the first six months of the year dropped 12 percent to 23,027 from a year earlier.